Floating threshing-machine.



I. CHARBONEAU.

FLOATING THRESHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-8.1918.

Patented Feb. II, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I .W M W I J. C. CHARBONEAU.

FLOATING THRESHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. 1918.

Patented Feb: 11, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wig/24m J. C. CHARBONEAU. FLOATING THRESHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR.8.- 1918.

1,293,706. Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- 25;?zwsse;

I72 Wen 202" 6. 5 CZarZOzeQu J. C. CHARBONEAU.

FLOATING THRESHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8.19l8.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

IT D S ATES P T N onricai JQsEPHcQCHnRBOIvE U, or BElYLID-II, ivn vnnsorn,

I To (latch m it may concern."

.Be' it. known that I, J osnrrr C. Criminoxnau, a citizen of the United States, read ing at Bemidji, .in the county of Beltraini and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new'and useful Improvements in Float ing Threshing-lVIachines;v and I do hereby declare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description 0 it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a floating threshing machine especially adapted for use in harvesting wild rice; and to this end, generally stated, it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims. As is well known, great fields of wild rice are going to waste account of inadequate means the same. The food value of wild rice has long been known-to the Indians, but only during the past few years has a demand been created for the same on the market as a staple food. On account of the difiiculty in harvesting wild rice the supply has'been very limited and the price high.- Most of the wild rice has been harvested by hand by the Indians, although attempts have been made to cut the wild rice by means of floating reapers. This latter method is laborious and slow, as it necessitates the gathering of the floating straw which must be carried to shore, dried, and thereafter threshed. By the use of my floating threshing machine the Wild rice is threshed directly from the standing straw and collected into bags. 1

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

attached parts of the threshing mechanism removed from the boat, with some parts broken away and with some parts sectioned, onan enlarged scale; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectien taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4:.

the invention, such as .will enable others skilled in the art to which each year on for harvesting 7 FLOATING rniansnrivevrncnmn;

I Specification ofLettersP'atent Pat'e t dlc b 11' 1919 Application filed April 8, 1 eis. Seria1No. 227,2 19.

indicates'the hullof a mo- .The numeral 6 'a' relatively flat bottom, on

tor boat, having which is mounted, in the stern of the boat,

an internal combustion engine, indicated, as

an entirety, by the numerals 7 For propelling the boat under the'power of the engine 7, I provide a stern paddle wheel8, journaled on the rear ends ofa pair of long levers 9.

versely of the boathull 6, and is j'ournaled inbearing brackets 12, secured to the sides'of y said hull. For driving the paddle wheel 8 from the crank shaft of connections are provided, to-wit: Secured to the rear end of the engine crankshaft is a the engine 7, the following bevel gear 13, which meshes with a bevel gear 14, on a transverse shaft '15, directly underlying the shaft 10 and ournaled in the bearing brackets 12. The shaft 10 is driven from the shaft 15 by a sprocket chain 16,

which runs over alined sprocketwheels 17 on said two shafts. The paddle wheel 8 is v driven from the shaft 10 by a pair of sprocket chains 18, which run over alined sprocket wheels 19 and 20, on the shaft and shaft for the paddle wheel; 8, respec tively.

To steer the floating threshing machineI provide a rudder 21, to which is secured a cross arm 22. Ropes 23 attached to thecross arm 22, extend over guide sheaves 24, se cured to the sides of the boat hull 6, and r'e versely wound on a The wheel equipped drum 25 is located slightly forward of the crossbar 11 so that an operator may easily manipulate said drum to steer the boat, and at the same time raise or lower the cross bar 11 to vary the depth thepaddle wheel 8 enters the water or to lift the same entirely out of the water.

desired, suitable means may be provided for wheel-equipped drum 25. I

holding the levers 9 with the paddle wheel 8 I in different elevations.

Located over the frontend portion of the boat hull 6 is a skeleton frame 26, removably supported on a pair of supplemental ribs 27, v the ends of which are extended considerably above said hull. The frame 26 includes a pair of relatively wide side members. 28, set

vertically edgewise, connectedat their front ends, directlyabove the'prow of the boat,

the frame 26 may and bent to ,conform to the sides thereof, 9 To the front end of the side members 28 is secured the front ends of a pair of gathering rails 29, which also constitute a part of the frame 26, that are curved along the same.

lines as the side members 28, but are spaced apart therefrom so as to. extend for a considerable distanceoutw'ard of the sides of the boat hull 6. The extreme rear ends of the side members 28 and rails 29 are rigidly connected and held properly spaced by a cross tie-bar 30,, and forward thereof, a comparatively short distance, said side. members and rails are againconnected by a crosstiebar 31. These cross tie-bars 30 and .31 are in turn rigidly connected at members 28 by short bars 32. Forward of the longitudinal center of the frame 26'the side members 278' and gathering rails 29 are again connected by a third cross tie-bar 33. Between the crosstie-bars 31 and 33 the side members 28'are further rigidly connected by front and rear cross tie-bars. 34 and 35, respectively.

The end portions of the supplemental ribs 27 are provided with a multiplicity of bores 36, through which nut-equipped bolts-37, secured in the side members- 28, may be passed. Obviously, 37 in the different bores '36 the elevation of bev changed, at will, for a purpose that will presently appear.

Extending from one gathering rail-29 to the other, and between the cross tie-bars 31- and 33, are two deck sections 38, of convas' or other suitable material. The'outeredges of the deck 4 otherwise secured to the gathering rails 29, cross tie-bars 31 and 33, and rest upon the si5demembers 28 and cross tie-bars 34 and 3 38 meet at the longltudi'nalcenter of the frame 26 and are secured to slats 39, which in turn, are secured, at their ends, to the cross tie-bars 31 and 33. On each side of the boat hull 6 is a gathering-reel 40, journaled on the outer ends of cross arms 41, secured to a pair of longitudinally spaced uprights 42, at the trans verse center of the boat. The lower ends of the uprights 42 are rigidly secured to the cross tie-bars 31 and 33, and the foremost of. said uprights is further supported by a pair of oblique braces 43, anchored to the sideimembers 28 of the frame 26. The journals for the reels 40 extend parallel to the longitudinal center of the boat and are located substantially over the gathering rails 29.. The length of the arms of the gathering reels, 40 is such that the blades thereof pass just above the gathering rails 29, at the rear ends thereof, thus leaving convergmg openings between said blades and gathermg rails.

The following connections are provided.

7 direction of naled in bearings on the .and rotatably connected in engagementwith points between side by inserting the, bolts sections 38 are tacked on he adjacent edges of the deck sections reels 40.

' through the wild rice,

for driving-; ,he gatherin reels. 40 inthe the arrows marked on Fig. 3, to-wit; A longitudinal shaft 44, axially alined with the engine crank shaft, isjourbottom of the boat to said crank shaft by a friction cone clutch 45. The, movable member of "this clutch 45 is yield-ingly held the fixed member thereof by a coil spring 46. A shipper lever 47 is provided for moving the. movable: clutchmember out, of engagement with the fixed member thereof. I Journaled in bearings on the cross -t-ie-* bars: 30, 33, 34 and 35, is a countershaft 48 that is'driven by'a sprocket chain 49, which runs over a sprocket wheel '50, on the front 7 end ofthe shaft 44 and a sprocket wheel 51 on the, rear end of the shaft 48. Extend= ing parallel to the shaft48 is, a short'shaft 52, journaled in'bear'ings on 'thecrosstie bars 33 and 34, and driven from'fsaid shaft 48 by intermeshinggears 53. ward ends of the shafts 485 and 52 are sprocket wheels 54, al'ined with sprocket wheels 55., on the forward ends of the-jo'urnals forthe gathering-reels -40. Sprocket chains .56 run over 'alined pairs 'of the. sprocket wheels 54 and 55, and independ ently drive saidgatlieriiigreels in the direc tion of the arrows marked on "Fig. 31

In the'two open'i-ng's'fo'rmed in the; frame 26, rearward of the deck sections 38', between the gathering rails .29, bars 32 and cross tie-bars 30 and 31,"are"1 nounted hoppers 57; Thesehoppers' 57 are below the 5 On the fordeck sections'38' and have depending short"- spouts 58, so arranged as to come within the boat hull and adapted to discharge'in bags 59, provided to receive the wild rice. Also mounted in each of these openings, above the respective hopper 57, is a tooth-equipped concave 60, which projects parallel to the direction of the rotation of the gathering Cooperating with each concave 60 is a tooth-equipped cylinder 61, and these cylinders aresecured 011 the outer ends of the transverse shaft '62, journaled in bearings on the bars, 32. The cylinders 61 are simultaneously driven from the shaft 62 by a short shaft 63, having a bevel gear 64, which meshes with. a bevel gear 65, on the shaft 44. A sprocket chain 66 runs over a' sprocket wheel 67, on the shaft 62, and sprocket wheel 68 on the shaft 63.

Under the forward'movement of'the boat the gathering rails '29 part the same gradually and press the wild rice outward into two rows; These rows of wild rice are engaged by the reels 49 and the'tops thereof bent over the said gather ing rails, onto the deck section38, and thus guided between the 61 and concaves c'oiiper'ati'ng cylinders 60; The wild rice, removed I diately sacking the same,

of the machine, and means and concave at one end caves, falls into the hopper '57, and thereby 1 conveyed into the bags 59. Thus threshing the wild rice while standing and imme makes. the harvesting thereof comparatively simple. 'Any of the wild rice threshed by the reels will fall directly on the deck sections 38 from where it can be moved from'time to time. 1 By manipulating the lever 47 the clutch 4Y5 may be operated to start or stop the reels and threshing cylinders atwill. "Obviously, by raising or lowering the hand bar 11 the elevation of thepaddle wheels may be varied at will, thus controlling, to a considerable extent, thespeed of the boat. By using a comparatively flat bottomed boat and a paddle wheel, the improved floating threshing machine may be easily propelled in shallow lakes and through the wild rice fields.

What I claim is:

1. A floating threshing machine having threshing mechanism, and means for directing the tops of the standing straw into the threshing mechanism from one side of the machine.

2. A floating threshing machine having threshing mechanism, means for gathering the standing straw into a row at one side for directing the tops of the standing straw in the row into the threshing mechanism.

3. A floating threshing machine having duplex threshing mechanism, means for gathering the standing straw into two rows, and means for directing the tops of the standing straw in the two rows into the threshing mechanism at opposite ends thereof.

4. In a floating threshing machine, the combination with a boat, of a cooperating cylinder and concave, a gathering reel, and means for operating the gathering reel to direct the tops of the straw between the cylinder and concave at one end thereof and substantially parallel to the axis of the cylinder.

5. In a floating threshing machine, the combination with a boat having a deck, of a cooperating cylinder and concave, a gathering reel, and means for operating the reel to carry the tops of the straw over the deck and direct the same between the cylinder thereof and substantially parallel to the axis of the cylinder.

6. In a floating threshing machine, the combination with a boat having a deck, of a cooperating cylinder and concave rearward of the deck, and a reel working over the deck and rotating transversely of the direction of the travel of theboat for directing the heads of the standing straw between the cylinder and concave at one end thereof and substantially parallel to the axis of the cylinder.

7 In a floating threshing machine, the

1 and-a reel journaled onthe frame,

' combination with a combination with-a boat having a deck, of,

a cooperating cylinder and ward of the'deck, a reel working over the deck and rotating transversely of the dir'ec tion of the rotation. of the cylinder for directing the heads of tween the cylinder and concave at one end thereof and a hopper'under the concave; 8. In 'a floating threshing machine; the combination with a boat, of afi'am'e remov-' concave rear the standing straw ;-be-

ably supported on the boat and having a" deck, a cooperating cylinder and concave mounted on the frame rearwardof the deck,

worklng over the deck and rotating transversely of the direction of rotation of the cylinder for directing the heads of the standing straw between the cylinder and concave at one end thereof and substantially parallel to the axis of the cylinder.

9. In a floating threshing machine, the

combination with a boat, of a frame removably supported on the boat and having a deck, a cooperating cylinder and concave mounted on the frame rearward of the deck, a reel journaled on the frame, working over the deck and rotating transversely of the direction of the rotation of the cylinder for directing the heads of the standing straw between the cylinder and concave, and a gathering rail extending from the prow of the boat to the cylinder and concave and over which traveling rails the straw is bent by the reel. 10. In a floating threshing machine, the combination with a boat, of a vertically adjustable frame removably supported on the boat and having a deck, a cooperating cylinder and concave mounted on the frame rearward of the deck, and a reel journaled on the frame, working over the deck and rotating transversely of the direction of rotation of the cylinder, for directing the heads of the standing straw between the cylinder and concave substantiallv parallel to the axis of the cylinder.

11. In a floating threshing machine, the boat having a deck, of a pair of cooperating cylinders and concaves, and a pair of reels working over the deck transversely of the direction of the rotation of the cylinders for directing the heads of the standing straw between the coiiperating cylinders and concaves substantially parallel to the axis of the cylinders.

'12. In a floating threshing machine, the combination with a boat having a pair of rearwardly diverging gathering rails ex tending from the prow of the boat, a deck between the gathering rails, a pair of 00- operating cylinders and concaves at the rear of the deck, and a pair of reels working over the deck for directing the heads of the standing straw transversely over the gathering rails and between the cooperating cylin- (Ii-DES and eorgeavee-substantially paralleljtto" thesconcavee-of tfhe .cyl inders Y Y 13. In a floating threshing the combinatijqn With a motor propelled boat,-

nhzp ingiz )eir of rearward'lyvdiverging 'gathpair of. cotiperating cylinders and. COIiQHjVQS at" the rearof thedejek', apeir' of-rleels Work :ing: over the; deck for' directi-ng the heads; of

the --;standin'gstraw? transversdyy ver. the

gathering'rai-ls'and between the coiiperati-n-g- .cylindersandconcaves substantial-ly. parallel to. the aX-is of the cylinders and driving connections lfrom the motor of the boat to 15 the cylinders and reels. 5 In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in prfesence-bftwo Witnesses, L v JOSEPH; GJiGHARBONEAU E Vvitliessesz. I

-- R'H. SCHUMAKER,';

Qopiesv 5:- t'hi s patent he -ohtein ed ter ffi re-oents each, by addressing vthe ;""Com m1ssione1 0t Pate nts,

- v j; e I washingtommcfi j m 

